Method of labeling alarms to facilitate correlating alarms in a telecommunications network

ABSTRACT

A method for generating compressed correlation key values for use in correlating alarms generated by network elements in a telecommunications network is disclosed. An alarm message generated by a network element is received. A context value in the alarm message is identified. A table that associates context values to correlation key value formulas is maintained. A formula specifying how to generate the correlation key value is retrieved from the table. Each formula may specify, for an associated context value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message, a concatenation of which yields the correlation key value. The correlation key value is created based on the formula. A unique ordinal number is generated to represent the correlation key value, which acts as a context key. The alarm message and correlation key value are sent to an external system for use in correlating alarms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to data processing in the fieldof network management for data networks. The invention relates morespecifically to a method and apparatus for generating labels tofacilitate correlating alarms in a telecommunications network as part ofnetwork management.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The data networks that are deployed by service providers or largeenterprises often comprise hundreds or thousands of network devices. Anetwork device may comprise one or more network elements, which areentities like modules, ports, slots etc. The network devices and theircorresponding network elements may be managed by one or more networkmanagement systems, such as an operational support system (OSS), whichare implemented using computer application programs that can communicatewith the network devices. OSS applications are either obtained fromcommercially available sources or developed internally bytelecommunications service providers.

When a network device detects a fault or error within itself or relatingto one of its elements or relating to links to another device orelements, the network device generates an alarm message (“alarm” herein)and sends it to the network management system. To enable the networkmanagement system to detect fault conditions as they occur (“in realtime”), some network elements are even designed and configured togenerate and send such alarms repeatedly, until the fault or othercausative condition is resolved or acknowledged. Such network devicesmay include routers, LAN switches, WAN switches, edge devices such asaccess routers, or other network elements, and system elements such asUNIX servers, etc.

Although this approach has the benefit of ensuring that alarms are knownuntil they are resolved, it also creates certain management problems. Inparticular, isolating new alarms is difficult, because the processingrequired to uniquely identify an alarm is generally equal to the totalalarm frequency multiplied by the number of network elements andmultiplied by the length of the time period of observation. For example,one empirical study conducted by the inventor hereof identified, in aone-month observation period involving 9,000 network elements, over twomillion alarms representing only 129 unique alarm conditions.

Identifying the unique alarms requires extensive processing power andspecialized knowledge of the syntax and semantics of the alarm messages.Further, these processing requirements, and the associated cost ofanalyzing the alarm messages, multiplied rib by the number of differentsoftware versions or revisions running on each network element or systemelement, adds significantly to the total cost of maintaining an OSS fora network. The initial investment of a service provider in an OSS andthe cost of upgrading or modifying an OSS are huge, and therefore it isless desirable to upgrade an OSS to read or parse new alarm types thatare introduced from time to time.

Still another problem involves propagation of alarms among differentnetwork elements. A large network may have network devices from manydifferent vendors. Each vendor may define a unique fault or alarm typeand structure for its network devices when standard alarm types aredeemed inadequate. When one device fails and generates an alarm, thedevice may communicate the alarm to a device from a different vendor,which generates a new alarm that is semantically identical to theoriginal alarm but that has a different syntax. As a result, in existingnetworks, many different fault management processing modules have beendeployed as accessory products or external systems. These approacheshave been taken because the structure and internal details of the alarmsor fault events are not well understood. The owner or operator of thenetwork may have difficulty in identifying the fault because thestructure of the event or alarm is not well understood.

One approach to addressing the foregoing problems is correlating alarmsbased on a correlation key label. However, current alarm correlationapproaches that use correlation labels have significant limitations. Thekey size is generally large and un-compressed. In a worst-case scenario,an uncompressed correlation key could be as large as the originalcorrelated message, effectively doubling the size of alarm traffic.Also, the way each vendor generates the labels might not be uniqueacross the heterogeneous network.

A related problem is that the different network devices from differentvendors may communicate semantically identical alarms using differentprotocols such as SNMP, Log, XML, etc. Moreover, within a givenprotocol, different network devices may report alarms using differentprotocol messages. For example, two devices that both use SNMP to reportalarms may use different SNMP traps to report alarms that aresemantically identical.

Still another problem is that an OSS may receive thousands of the samekind of alarm messages that are semantically identical but referencedifferent network devices or links. To determine which messages aresemantically identical and reference the same fault condition, the OSSmust parse and interpret the messages using extensive processingresources. Using a consistent trap type does not solve the problem. Forexample, assume that a fault condition is “Link Down” (a very commonkind of fault) and that all SNMP devices of all vendors use the samekind of SNMP trap to report Link Down. Due to propagation of alarmsalong interconnected links, each Link Down trap message may include,nevertheless, different values for Node Name, IP Address, Link ID, etc.,even when only one device is at fault. Therefore, extensive parsing andcorrelation is required at the OSS to isolate the source of the fault.

Furthermore, for the SNMP protocol, there is no way to formally define acorrelation key value or index value in a MIB, making the faultmanagement task less organized, which is undesirable. For example, thesame ‘INDEX’ constructs used to represent key scalar or tabularattributes in an SNMP MIB cannot be used to represent the key value ofTrap in the MIB.

Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need in this field for animproved method of generating correlating alarm labels for the alarmsgenerated by network management systems.

There is a specific need for a way to uniquely identify semanticallyidentical alarms that are generated from different devices or devices'elements in a manner that is consistent across devices from differentvendors.

There is also a need for a way to uniquely identify semanticallyidentical alarms that are generated from different devices usingdifferent protocols or different message types within a given protocol.

There is also a need to provide a way to identify alarms withoutadversely impacting the speed of an OSS or similar system that iscarrying out fault correlation.

There is also a need for an approach that provides a compressiblecorrelation key to preserve network bandwidth and provide betterperformance than uncompressed one.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing needs, and other needs and objects that will becomeapparent from the following description, are achieved in the presentinvention, which comprises, in one aspect, a “generic” method ofgenerating a label for use in correlating alarms emitted by networkelements or system elements in a telecommunications network. Thedisclosed method is independent of the protocol used by a particulardevice vendor. An alarm message generated by a network element or systemelement of the telecommunications network is received. A context valuein the alarm message is identified. A table that associates contextvalues to internal correlation key value formulas is maintained. Aunique external correlation key value or label is generated for theinternal correlation key value. The alarm message and correlation keyvalue are sent to an external system for use in correlating alarms.

In one feature, the alarm message is an SNMP trap and the label value isgenerated by a formula, which specifies a concatenation of the SNMPvarbinds in the received trap that will be used in the label, inadditional to some external IP header information, such as the source IPaddress of the node that generated the trap.

In another feature, the external system is an OSS of atelecommunications service provider. The table may be stored at agateway or proxy that is logically located in the telecommunicationnetwork between the network element or system element and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider.

In another feature for log or XML events, each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields or regular expressions which specify the method toextract the field in the alarm log, and in addition the IP headerinformation which is received as part of the alarm log in the IP headerof the alarm's log message that specifies the source EP address of thereceived log.

According to another feature, each formula in the table specifies, foran associated context value, one or more fields in the alarm message, aconcatenation of which yields the internal correlation key value.

The internal correlation key offers a unique representation of theinternal alarm message values and serves the same purpose of identifyingunique alarms. The key may have any desired size in order for supportingnetworks of unlimited size. Use of a unique compressed external keyoffers surprising conservation of bandwidth, as a conventional internalcorrelation key can be quite large and expensive to transmit.

In yet another feature, each formula in the table further specifies oneor more references to objects in an external database system. Theformulas also may specify one or more references to programmaticprocedures that are stored in an external database system. The formulasalso specify a pattern matching procedure, in the form of a regularexpression, to extract one or more ordinal positions of fields from thesource alarms.

In one specific approach, wherein each formula in the table specifies,for an associated context value, one or more ordinal positions of aplurality of fields the alarm message, or a pattern to match, and one ormore references to external database indexes or to programmaticprocedures that are stored in an external database system, and wherein aconcatenation of the fields and a result value from execution of theprogrammatic procedures yields the internal correlation key value. Asanother feature, the table is stored at a gateway that is logicallylocated in the telecommunication network between the network element orsystem element and an OSS of a telecommunications service provider, eachformula in the table specifies, for an associated context value, one ormore ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message and one or morereferences to objects in an external database system that is accessibleto the gateway; and a concatenation of the fields and objects yields theinternal correlation key value.

Sending the alarm message and external correlation key value or labelmay involve sending an SNMP message to an OSS that includes a completeSNMP object carrying the alarm message and the correlation key value. Inanother feature, an XML file is sent to an OSS that includes the alarmmessage and the external correlation key value or label identified byunique XML tags.

In one embodiment, a correlation key field is defined in each alarmmessage that is generated by an alarm module of a network element orsystem element. When alarm messages are generated using SNMP, forexample, the correlation key is a value formed by the concatenation ofselected values, specified according to one of the formulas, whichuniquely identify a network element. For example, a correlation key maycomprise a concatenation of a hostname value, slot number value, andprocess identifier. The correlation key is identified in an SNMP MIB bya unique object identifier. The correlation key also may be specified inan XML tag.

A proxy server is provided to gather alarms from network elements andsystem elements that cannot self-generate correlation keys. The proxyserver generates one or more new alarms on behalf of the networkelements and system elements, and each alarm that is generated include acorrelation key of the type defined herein that corresponds to theoriginal alarm received by the proxy server. A string comparisonoperation in an OSS parsing module is provided to identify alarms havinga designated correlation key.

In this arrangement, benefits accrue in that the parsing module toextract correlation keys may be written once and thereby reduce the costof the OSS. The potential for erroneous interpretation of alarms isreduced because the correlation keys and proxy servers may be tested andsupported by the same party that creates, sells, services or maintainsthe corresponding network elements and system elements. The processingefficiency of the OSS in parsing unique error messages is greatlyenhanced and simplified using relatively simple string comparisonoperations.

Further, while in some approaches, the key size is as large as theoriginal alarm, in the approach herein a label or key of approximately64 bits may be used for all alarms generated in a very large network.Additionally, in past approaches, correlation key values have beenlimited to the content of the alarm received. The approach describedherein offers integration with an external database and an extensiblesoftware method that is used to add or compute more instanceinformation. For example, in one feature, a processing method can accessreference documentation for alarms to provide a more detailedexplanation and recommendation relating to an alarm that the alarmmessage itself cannot convey.

In another feature, a software function dynamically queries an instanceidentifier associated with the customer ID that identifies one or moreexternal database indexes.

New alarms can be identified instantly as the label that is generated isa uniquely identified network instance. Any new label from eventsindicates a new type of alarm. Repeated label of the same valueindicates an alarm that is known and is repeated either by alarm typeand or by network instances

In other aspects, the invention encompasses a computer apparatus, acomputer readable medium, and a carrier wave configured to carry out theforegoing steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a network context in which faultcorrelation is carried out in a conventional approach;

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an example network context in which anembodiment may be used;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network operations support system and itsrelationship to other logical elements of a network management system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an intelligence table, in one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process of generating an alarm correlationvalue; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system upon whichan embodiment may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A method and apparatus for generating a correlation key value for use incorrelating alarms emitted by network elements or system elements in atelecommunications network is described. In the following description,for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forthin order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the presentinvention may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagramform in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Alarm Correlation Approach Using Correlation Key Value

In one embodiment, in a method for generating internal correlation keyvalues for use in correlating alarms generated by network elements in atelecommunications network, an alarm message generated by a networkelement or system element of the telecommunications network is received.A context value in the alarm message is identified using a lookup tablehaving an entry for each supported alarm. A table that associatescontext values to correlation key value formulas is maintained. Aformula specifying how to generate the correlation key value isretrieved from the table. A unique external correlation key value iscreated based on the formula. The alarm message and external correlationkey value are sent to an external system, such as an OSS, for use incorrelating alarms. The alarm message may be an SNMP message and thecontext value may be an SNMP context string. The table may be stored ata gateway that is logically located in the telecommunication networkbetween the network element or system element and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider. Each formula in the table mayspecify, for an associated context value, one or more ordinal positionsof fields in the alarm message, or a pattern from which the fields areextracted, a concatenation of which yields the correlation key value. Aformula may reference objects or programmatic procedures in an externaldatabase system. Because the internal keys may be large, the externalkeys are generated to uniquely represent the internal keys.

In another embodiment, a correlation key field is defined in each alarmmessage that is generated by an alarm module of a network element orsystem element. When alarm messages are generated using SNMP, forexample, the correlation key is a value formed by the concatenation ofselected values that uniquely identify a network element. For example, acorrelation key may comprise a concatenation of a hostname value, slotnumber value, and process identifier. The correlation key is identifiedin an SNMP MIB by a unique object identifier.

The correlation key also may be specified in an XML tag.

A proxy server is provided to gather alarms from network elements andsystem elements that cannot self-generate correlation keys. The proxyserver generates one or more new alarms on behalf of the networkelements and system elements, and each alarm that is generated includean external correlation key of the type defined herein that correspondsto the original alarm received by the proxy server. A comparisonoperation in an OSS parsing module is provided to identify alarms havinga designated correlation key.

Embodiments are applicable to fault reporting by network elements orsystem elements. Network elements may comprise one or more routers, LANswitches, WAN switches, edge devices such as access routers, or otherprocessing devices. System elements may comprise UNIX servers,workstations, printer servers, personal computers, or any otherprocessing device that can report a fault. Embodiments are applicable tofaults that are reported using alarm messages, events that are publishedto an event bus, SNMP traps, and other reporting mechanisms.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a network context in which faultcorrelation is carried out in a conventional approach. A managed network100 includes one or more local area networks or wide area networks, suchas an example local area network 102. One or more network devices 102A,102B, 102C, 102D participate in the local area network 102. Each of thenetwork devices 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D maintains a log file 103 in whichit writes records of alarms or fault conditions.

A network management station 104 is communicatively coupled to localarea network 102, and in this position, the network management stationcan monitor events occurring in networks 100, 102. Network managementstation 104 is a workstation, personal computer, or similar device andexecutes an operations support system 108 having a fault correlationmodule 106. The fault correlation module 106 generally comprises one ormore custom-written computer programs that interact with OSS 108 andnetworks 100, 102.

In operation, fault correlation module 106 periodically reads log file103 and parses it to identify any alarms that are shown in the log file.Fault correlation module 106 may read log file 103 by, for example,issuing one or more SNMP requests, or a network element may send a logto a well-known port using an agreed-upon protocol. The owner oroperator of the managed network or the OSS 108 creates the specificfunctions of fault correlation module 106 on a custom basis, based onextensive and specialized knowledge of the syntax and semantics ofalarms that are generated by each of the network devices that arepresent in the managed network. Further, the functions carried out byfault correlation module 106 generally are limited to the domain of themanaged network as it existed at the time that the fault correlationmodule is created. If the managed network is upgraded or changed, thenthe fault correlation module requires modification. Such modificationsmay require new parsing steps in fault correlation module 106, newprogrammatic logic in response to detection of new kinds of events, etc.Carrying out such modifications involves significant effort and iscostly. Further, to carry out such updates, the OSS usually is requiredto shut down, which is undesirable.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an example network context in which anembodiment may be used. A managed network 101 comprises at least onenetwork element 120 that maintains a log file 103. Network element 120may be one or more routers, switches, or other network devices. Networkelement 120 is communicatively coupled to other devices in network 101and to a gateway 140 having a fault correlation proxy 130. The gateway140 is further communicatively coupled, directly or indirectly throughone or more intervening networks, to network management station 104.Network management station 104 executes an OSS 108 that includes acomparison module 150. Comparison module 150 carries out a stringcomparison, numeric comparison, bitwise comparison, or other comparisonas appropriate to the data type of the keys and labels.

For purposes of illustrating a simple example, FIG. 1B shows one networkdevice 120. In a practical system, however, managed network 101 mayinclude any number of network devices, and may comprise one or morelocal area networks, wide area networks, metropolitan area networks,campus networks, or inter-networks.

Gateway 140 comprises a memory and disk work area for correlatingalarms. Gateway 140 may be implemented as any suitable programmabledevice such as a UNIX workstation, LINUX-based computer, MicrosoftWindows®-based computer, etc. Alternatively, gateway 140 may beimplemented as a process that executes in network element 120, althoughthis is considered less desirable because it burdens network element 120with the processing requirements of generating alarm correlation keys.In these arrangements, gateway 140 acts as an alarm proxy server fornetwork element 120 or for all of network 100.

Gateway 140 may be located at a central office of a service providerwhere one or more network elements are co-located, for example. Thisarrangement has the advantage of ensuring that real-time alarmcorrelation processes occur rapidly. Alternatively, gateway 140 may beco-located with OSS 108 either in a central office or another location.

In general, a network context of this arrangement functions as follows.Network element 120 detects a fault condition within itself, on one ofits interfaces or links to other devices, or receives a fault messagefrom another device. In response, network element 120 generates analarm. In real time, fault correlation proxy 130 of gateway 140intercepts the alarm and determines whether the alarm matches a knownkind of alarm. If fault correlation proxy 130 recognizes the alarm, thenthe fault correlation proxy converts the alarm into an alarm messagehaving a canonical format and tagged with the external correlation keyvalue generated in a specific way as described herein

Gateway 140 then sends the alarm message to network management station104. In one embodiment, in real time, gateway 140 sends the alarmmessage with the external correlation key value by publishing the alarmmessage in an event using an event bus system. For example, gateway 140and OSS 108 may be clients of a commercial event bus system, such asthat available from TIBCO Software, Inc. Alternatively, the alarmmessage may be provided in an XML document or a message conveyed usingSNMP or another messaging protocol.

OSS 108 receives the alarm message. Comparison module 150 of OSS 108examines the correlation key value in the alarm message and determineswhether it matches a previously received alarm message. If no matchoccurs, then OSS 108 processes the received alarm. Such processing mayinclude reporting the alarm to an end user through a graphical userinterface, logging the received alarm in a log file of OSS 108,executing a pre-defined program to carry out specified steps, etc.

Comparison module 150 represents an example mechanism with which OSS 108may carry out alarm correlation. However, use of this particularmechanism is not critical and other known mechanisms may be substituted.

If operating system software or application program software at gateway140 is upgraded, the upgrade process may update intelligence table 134and may signal network management station 104 to reflect the update inits control memory without requiring NMS 104 to shut down.

In one embodiment, the correlation key value is a composite keyproviding a single field that is derived from values found in existingSNMP trap definitions. The correlation key value may vary depending onthe nature of the received alarm. In one embodiment, fault correlationproxy 130 comprises a parsing module 132 and an intelligence table 134.Parsing nodule 132 determines what kind of alarm has been received fromnetwork element 120. Based on the results of parsing the received alarm,fault correlation proxy 130 looks up, in intelligence table 134, whatvalues in the received alarm should be combined in what way to yield theinternal fault correlation value.

Parsing module 132 may comprise one or more parsing processes that carryout required parsing using data from table 134. Each of the parsingprocesses is responsible for parsing a particular kind of alarm orevent, or alarms or events from a particular kind of device. When analarm is received, fault correlation proxy 130 selects one of theparsing processes based on information in the alarm. This arrangementenables fault correlation proxy 130 to process alarms having any format.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an intelligence table, in one embodiment.Intelligence table 134 is implemented as a table stored in memory ormass storage accessible to gateway 140 that correlates fault types, asidentified by context values, to formulas. As illustrated in FIG. 3, anintelligence table 300 may comprise a plurality of table entries 306A,306B, 306N. For purposes of illustrating an example, FIG. 3 shows asmall number of table entries, but a practical embodiment may includeany number. Each table entry comprises values in a fault type column 302and a formula column 304. Values in fault type column 302 identify kindsof faults and may comprise the concatenation of a trap name or alarmname and a type of a network element that generated the trap, and a nameof a vendor of that network element. When SNMP is the messagingprotocol, the context values may correspond to SNMP context strings.

The formulas in formula column 304 are mathematical and specify how tocreate a fault correlation value for the associated fault type bycombining one or more values from within a received alarm. A formula mayreference an external database index or procedure that can be executedto result in a value. In one alternative, the values referenced in theformulas may be MIB variable instance values that are embedded within areceived alarm. The fault correlation proxy 130 may apply such a formulaby extracting the instance values identified in the formula from thealarm, combining the values in the manner indicated in the formula. Forexample, in one embodiment, each formula is an arithmetic expressioncomprising integer values that identify ordinal positions of values inan SNMP context string.

As a specific example, assume that the received alarm is an SNMP trapthat is defined as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 EXAMPLE SNMP TRAP SsngSyslogLinkStateChanged    TRAP-TYPEENTERPRISE    svplus VARIABLES   { ssnglastSequenceNumber, ssngNodeName,ssngRouterIpAddr, ssngTrapReason, ssngTrapFacility, ssngTrapSeverity,ssngTrapMnemonic, SsnqTrapRepeatCount, ssngTrapTimeStamp,ssngParentDeviceName, SsngParentDeviceIp, ssngParentDeviceSlotNo,ssngLinkID, ssngState } DESCRIPTION “ Description of the trap goes here”

Note that the trap syntax and notification syntax in SNMPv1 and SNMPv2,respectively, do not provide a way to index traps, alarms ornotifications. Assume further that an entry 306A in the intelligencetable 300 comprises the context string “ssngSyslogLinkStateChanged” incolumn 302 and the formula “<1>+<2>+<13>” in column 304. The values“<1>,” “<2>,” and “<13>” reference the first, second, and thirteenthordinal positions of fields in an alarm identified by the associatedcontext string. Thus, the formula indicates that the correlation key isgenerated by a string concatenation of the context string and the values“RouterA,” “10.1.1.1,” and “2/1/30.”

If one of the fields specified in a formula is not present in thereceived alarm, then a value for that field is obtained by issuing aquery to the network device that generated the received alarm. The queryrequests that network device to provide the then-current value for thefield specified in the formula. The query may specify the needed valueby providing the SNMP community string and the ordinal position as anoffset within the trap named by the community string. Thus, when areceived alarm message does not contain a needed value as specified in aformula, the needed value is obtained dynamically from the associateddevice, and may be obtained without knowing the name of the field.Alternatively, values may be obtained from static online user documents.

In another embodiment, a value for a formula may be obtained by adatabase query or other query to an external system. In this embodiment,the formula in the intelligence table comprises a reference to adatabase object, or to an external function or process that provides avalue for the correlation key. For example, an entry in the intelligencetable may comprise the context string “ssngSyslogLinkStateChanged” andthe formula “<1>+<2>+<13>+<cust_D>.” The values “<1>,” “<2>,” and “<13>”reference the first, second, and thirteenth ordinal positions of fieldsin the associated context string. The value <cust_ID> is the name of anobject in a database system that is accessible to gateway 140. Thus, theformula indicates that the correlation key is generated by a stringconcatenation of the context string, the values “RouterA,” “10.1.1.1,”“2/1/30” and the value of a database variable named <cust_ID>, or avalue returned by a database stored procedure named <cust_D>.Alternatively, the value <cust_ID> references an external function orprocess that generates a customer identifier, such as a function of anAPI of the OSS, a function of a dynamic linked library, etc. Thisapproach enables gateway 140 to introduce a customer-specific orotherwise unique element into the correlation key value.

The correlation key value may be output by gateway 140 to networkmanagement station 104 and OSS 108 using an event bus, XML document orSNMP message. Use of XML provides the advantage that the correlation keyvalue is multi-protocol. When an XML file is used, the correlation keyvalue is carried in the file in a special tag that identifies thecorrelation key value as such. When SNMP is used, the correlation keyvalue and the complete SNMP trap object are sent to the OSS 108 by adifferent trap message.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process of generating an alarm correlationvalue. The process of FIG. 4 may be implemented in whole or in partusing one or more computer programs, routines, or other softwareelements that are executed by gateway 140 to provide the functionsdescribed herein.

In block 402, an alarm is received. For example, gateway 140 receives analarm that has been generated by network device 120 and broadcast,published, or otherwise communicated to the gateway.

In block 404, the alarm is parsed. Parsing in block 404 involvesexamining field values of the alarm to determine which field carries avalue that can be used as a context value for a table look-up. Forexample, when the alarm arrives in an SNMP message, the SNMP varbindsrelating to context are identified in the alarm. Parsing may involvecarrying out pattern matching on the varbinds. If the parsing operationof block 404 is unable to identify a value that can be used as a contextvalue for table look-up, then control passes to block 416 in which acorrelation key value for the alarm is set to NULL or to a flag value.The alarm is then passed to the OSS or another external system forfurther processing, as indicated in block 414.

If the parsing operation of block 404 results in identifying a knowncontext field, then in block 406 the alarm is looked up in anintelligence table using the context value as a key. For example, whenthe alarm is received in an SNMP message, the context string is used asa key to carry out a table lookup in the intelligence table. In block408, a formula is retrieved from an entry of the table that matches thecontext value.

In block 410, a correlation key value is created for the alarm asspecified in the retrieved formula. In block 411, an externalcorrelation key value is generated. In one approach, block 411 involvescompressing the internal correlation key value. Example compressionapproaches include Hamilton's algorithm and applying a hash operation,such as Message Digest 5 (MD5). Compression may be carried out using amapping that is maintained by gateway 140 in persistent storage, in aform similar to that of Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 EXAMPLE COMPRESSION MAPPING INTERNAL CORRELATION KEY VALUE INDEXssngLinkFail, 10.1.1.1/1/30/20 1 ssngLinkIDChange, 10.1.1.1/1/30/20 2ssngLinkIDChange, 10.1.1.2/1/30/20 3

If the formula specifies an external value or procedure, then in block412 that external value or procedure is retrieved or executed. Controlthen passes to block 414 in which the alarm with the externalcorrelation key value is then passed to the OSS or another externalsystem for further processing.

The example of FIG. 4 is primarily applicable to SNMP traps. Processingof system log files containing alarms maybe carried out using a processsimilar to that of FIG. 4, except that pattern matching is applied inblock 404 to identify alarms.

Implementation Mechanisms—Hardware & Software Overview

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an OSS and its relationship to otherlogical elements of a network management system. The arrangement of FIG.2 generally comprises a service management layer 202, network managementlayer 204, element management layer 206, and network element layer 208.

Network element layer 208 represents the logical position of networkdevices in a network. Network element layer 208 may comprise, forexample, one or more access devices acting as media gateways 120C; oneor more edge devices acting as media gateways 120D; one or more coredevices 226, which do not act as MGs; and one or more media gatewaycontrollers 112C.

Element management layer 206 comprises components that manage elementsin network element layer 208. Typically, the components of elementmanagement layer 206 comprise software application programs that areexecuted on workstations that are communicatively coupled to theelements of layer 208 or to a network in which they participate. In oneexample arrangement, layer 206 comprises a media gateway elementmanagement system 214 that manages MGs; a transport network managementsystem 218 that manages edge devices 120D and core devices 226; and amedia gateway controller element management system 216 that manages MGC112C.

Service management layer 202 comprises an operational support system(OSS) that provides supervisory level control of the MG EMS 214,transport network management system 218, and the MGC EMS 216. Known OSSsolutions from, for example, Telcordia or other vendors provide serviceorder entry, service definition, and service provisioning functions.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 500 uponwhich an embodiment of the invention may be implemented.

Computer system 500 includes a bus 502 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information, and a processor 504 coupled with bus 502for processing information. Computer system 500 also includes a mainmemory 506, such as a random access memory (“RAM”) or other dynamicstorage device, coupled to bus 502 for storing information andinstructions to be executed by processor 504. Main memory 506 also maybe used for storing temporary variables or other intermediateinformation during execution of instructions to be executed by processor504. Computer system 500 further includes a read only memory (“ROM”) 508or other static storage device coupled to bus 502 for storing staticinformation and instructions for processor 504. A storage device 510,such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus502 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 500 may be coupled via bus 502 to a display 512, such asa cathode ray tube (“CRT”), for displaying information to a computeruser. An input device 514, including alphanumeric and other keys, iscoupled to bus 502 for communicating information and command selectionsto processor 504. Another type of user input device is cursor control516, such as a mouse, trackball, stylus, or cursor direction keys forcommunicating direction information and command selections to processor504 and for controlling cursor movement on display 512. This inputdevice typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis(e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specifypositions in a plane.

The invention is related to the use of computer system 500 forgenerating network alarms using a correlation key approach. According toone embodiment of the invention, generating network alarms using acorrelation key approach is provided by computer system 500 in responseto processor 504 executing one or more sequences of one or moreinstructions contained in main memory 506. Such instructions may be readinto main memory 506 from another computer-readable medium, such asstorage device 510. Execution of the sequences of instructions containedin main memory 506 causes processor 504 to perform the process stepsdescribed herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry maybe used in place of or in combination with software instructions toimplement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to processor 504 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks,such as storage device 510. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, suchas main memory 506. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copperwire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 502.Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves,such as those generated during radio wave and infrared datacommunications.

Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppydisk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magneticmedium, a CD-ROM any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, anyother physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM,a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave asdescribed hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer canread.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 504 forexecution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on amagnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 500 canreceive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitterto convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector canreceive the data carried in the infrared signal and appropriatecircuitry can place the data on bus 502. Bus 502 carries the data tomain memory 506, from which processor 504 retrieves and executes theinstructions. The instructions received by main memory 506 mayoptionally be stored on storage device 510 either before or afterexecution by processor 504.

Computer system 500 also includes a communication interface 518 coupledto bus 502. Communication interface 518 provides a two-way datacommunication coupling to a network link 520 that is connected to alocal network 522. For example, communication interface 518 may be anintegrated services digital network (“ISDN”) card or a modem to providea data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephoneline. As another example, communication interface 518 may be a localarea network (“LAN”) card to provide a data communication connection toa compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any suchimplementation, communication interface 518 sends and receiveselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams representing various types of information.

Network link 520 typically provides data communication through one ormore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 520 mayprovide a connection through local network 522 to a host computer 524 orto data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) 526.ISP 526 in turn provides data communication services through theworldwide packet data communication network now commonly referred to asthe “Internet” 528. Local network 522 and Internet 528 both useelectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams. The signals through the various networks and the signals onnetwork link 520 and through communication interface 518, which carrythe digital data to and from computer system 500, are exemplary forms ofcarrier waves transporting the information.

Computer system 500 can send messages and receive data, includingprogram code, through the network(s), network link 520 and communicationinterface 518. In the Internet example, a server 530 might transmit arequested code for an application program through Internet 528, ISP 526,local network 522 and communication interface 518. In accordance withthe invention, one such downloaded application provides for generatingnetwork alarms using a correlation key approach as described herein.

Processor 504 may execute the received code as it is received, and/orstored in storage device 510, or other non-volatile storage for laterexecution. In this manner, computer system 500 may obtain applicationcode in the form of a carrier wave.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

1. A method of generating an external correlation key value for use incorrelating alarms emitted by network elements or system elements in atelecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of:receiving an alarm message generated by a network element or systemelement of the telecommunications network; identifying a context valuein the alarm message; retrieving, based upon the context value in thealarm message, from a table that associates context values to internalcorrelation key value formulas, a formula specifying how to generate aninternal correlation key value; creating and storing the internalcorrelation key value based on the formula; generating the externalcorrelation key value based on the internal correlation key value; andsending the alarm message and external correlation key value to anexternal system for use in correlating alarms.
 2. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the alarm message is an SNMP message, the context valueis an SNMP context string, and the external correlation key value is anordinal number.
 3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the externalsystem is an OSS of a telecommunications service provider.
 4. A methodas recited in claim 1, wherein the table is stored at a gateway that islogically located in the telecommunication network between the networkelement or system element and an OSS of a telecommunications serviceprovider.
 5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each formula in thetable specifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message.
 6. A method as recited inclaim 1, further comprising the steps of storing the internalcorrelation key value into an internal work area, and generating theexternal correlation key value that uniquely represents the internalcorrelation key value.
 7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein eachformula in the table specifies, for an associated context value, one ormore fields in the alarm message, a concatenation of which yields theinternal correlation key value.
 8. A method as recited in claim 1,wherein each formula in the table specifies one or more pattern matchingprocedures to extract one or more fields from the alarm message, aconcatenation of which yields the internal correlation key value.
 9. Amethod as recited in claim 1, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toobjects in an external database system.
 10. A method as recited in claim1, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associatedcontext value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarmmessage and one or more references to programmatic procedures that arestored in an external database system.
 11. A method as recited in claim1, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associatedcontext value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarmmessage and one or more references to programmatic procedures that arestored in an external database system, and wherein a concatenation ofthe fields and a result value from execution of the programmaticprocedures yields the internal correlation key value.
 12. A method asrecited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of compressing theexternal correlation key value such that the external correlation keyvalue is stored in fewer bits than the internal correlation key value.13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the table is stored at agateway that is logically located in the telecommunication networkbetween the network element or system element, and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider; wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toobjects in an external database system that is accessible to thegateway; and wherein a concatenation of the fields and objects yieldsthe internal correlation key value; and further comprising the steps ofcompressing the external correlation key value such that the externalcorrelation key value is stored in fewer bits than the internalcorrelation key value.
 14. A method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the steps of: storing the internal correlation key value andexternal correlation key value in a persistent work area; retrieving theexternal correlation key value from the persistent work area.
 15. Amethod as recited in claim 1, wherein sending the alarm message andcorrelation key value comprises sending an SNMP message to an OSS thatincludes a complete SNMP object carrying the alarm message and theexternal correlation key value in an SNMP field.
 16. A method as recitedin claim 1, wherein sending the alarm message and correlation key valuecomprises sending an XML file to an OSS that includes the alarm messageand the external correlation key value identified by unique XML tags.17. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for generating anexternal correlation key value for use in correlating alarms emitted bynetwork elements or system elements in a telecommunications network,which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause:receiving an alarm message generated by a network element or systemelement of the telecommunications network; identifying a context valuein the alarm message; retrieving, based upon the context value in thealarm message, from a table that associates context values to internalcorrelation key value formulas, a formula specifying how to generate theinternal correlation key value; creating and storing the internalcorrelation key value based on the formula; generating the externalcorrelation key value based on the internal correlation key value; andsending the alarm message and external correlation key value to anexternal system for use in correlating alarms.
 18. A computer-readablemedium as recited in claim 17, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more fields in thealarm message, a concatenation of which yields the internal correlationkey value.
 19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17,wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associated contextvalue, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message andone or more references to programmatic procedures that are stored in anexternal database system.
 20. A computer-readable medium as recited inclaim 17, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associatedcontext value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarmmessage and one or more references to programmatic procedures that arestored in an external database system, and wherein a concatenation ofthe fields and a result value from execution of the programmaticprocedures yields the internal correlation key value.
 21. Acomputer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the table isstored at a gateway that is logically located in the telecommunicationnetwork between the network element or system element and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider; wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toobjects in an external database system that is accessible to thegateway; and wherein a concatenation of the fields and objects yieldsthe correlation key value.
 22. An apparatus for generating an externalcorrelation key value for use in correlating alarms emitted by networkelements or system elements in a telecommunications network, comprising:means for receiving an alarm message generated by a network element orsystem element of the telecommunications network; means for identifyinga context value in the alarm message; means for retrieving, based uponthe context value in the alarm message, from a table that associatescontext values to internal correlation key value formulas, a formulaspecifying how to generate the internal correlation key value; means forcreating and storing the internal correlation key value based on theformula; means for generating the external correlation key value basedon the internal correlation key value; and means for sending the alarmmessage and the external correlation key value to an external system foruse in correlating alarms.
 23. An apparatus for generating an externalkey value for use in correlating alarms emitted by network elements orsystem elements in a telecommunications network, comprising: a networkinterface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or morepacket flows therefrom; a processor; and stored instructions which, whenexecuted by the processor, cause: receiving an alarm message generatedby a network element or system element of the telecommunicationsnetwork; identifying a context value in the alarm message; retrieving,based upon the context value in the alarm message, from a table thatassociates context values to internal correlation key value formulas, aformula specifying how to generate the internal correlation key value;creating and storing the internal correlation key value based on theformula; generating the external correlation key value based on theinternal correlation key value; and sending the alarm message andexternal correlation key value to an external system for use incorrelating alarms.
 24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim17, wherein the alarm message is an SNMP message, the context value isan SNMP context string, and the external correlation key value is anordinal number.
 25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17,wherein the external system is an OSS of a telecommunications serviceprovider.
 26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, whereinthe table is stored at a gateway that is logically located in thetelecommunication network between the network element or system elementand an OSS of a telecommunications service provider.
 27. Acomputer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein each formula inthe table specifies, for an associated context value, one or moreordinal positions of fields in the alarm message.
 28. Acomputer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising thesteps of storing the internal correlation key value into an internalwork area, and generating the external correlation key value thatuniquely represents the internal correlation key value.
 29. Acomputer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein each formula inthe table specifies one or more pattern matching procedures to extractone or more fields from the alarm message, a concatenation of whichyields the internal correlation key value.
 30. A computer-readablemedium as recited in claim 17, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toobjects in an external database system.
 31. A computer-readable mediumas recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of compressing theexternal correlation key value such that the external correlation keyvalue is stored in fewer bits than the internal correlation key value.32. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, furthercomprising the steps of: storing the internal correlation key value andexternal correlation key value in a persistent work area; retrieving theexternal correlation key value from the persistent work area.
 33. Acomputer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein sending thealarm message and correlation key value comprises sending an SNMPmessage to an OSS that includes a complete SNMP object carrying thealarm message and the external correlation key value in an SNMP field.34. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein sendingthe alarm message and correlation key value comprises sending an XMLfile to an OSS that includes the alarm message and the externalcorrelation key value identified by unique XML tags.
 35. An apparatus asrecited in claim 23, wherein the alarm message is an SNMP message, thecontext value is an SNMP context string, and the external correlationkey value is an ordinal number.
 36. An apparatus as recited in claim 23,wherein the external system is an OSS of a telecommunications serviceprovider.
 37. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the table isstored at a gateway that is logically located in the telecommunicationnetwork between the network element or system element and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider.
 38. An apparatus as recited inclaim 23, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associatedcontext value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarmmessage.
 39. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising oneor more additional instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause storing the internal correlation key value into an internal workarea, and generating the external correlation key value that uniquelyrepresents the internal correlation key value.
 40. An apparatus asrecited in claim 23, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for anassociated context value, one or more fields in the alarm message, aconcatenation of which yields the internal correlation key value.
 41. Anapparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies one or more pattern matching procedures to extract one or morefields from the alarm message, a concatenation of which yields theinternal correlation key value.
 42. An apparatus as recited in claim 23,wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associated contextvalue, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message andone or more references to objects in an external database system.
 43. Anapparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toprogrammatic procedures that are stored in an external database system.44. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein each formula in thetable specifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toprogrammatic procedures that are stored in an external database system,and wherein a concatenation of the fields and a result value fromexecution of the programmatic procedures yields the internal correlationkey value.
 45. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprisingone or more additional instructions which, when executed by theprocessor, cause compressing the external correlation key value suchthat the external correlation key value is stored in fewer bits than theinternal correlation key value.
 46. An apparatus as recited in claim 23,wherein the table is stored at a gateway that is logically located inthe telecommunication network between the network element or systemelement, and an OSS of a telecommunications service provider; whereineach formula in the table specifies, for an associated context value,one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message and one ormore references to objects in an external database system that isaccessible to the gateway; and wherein a concatenation of the fields andobjects yields the internal correlation key value; and the apparatusfurther comprises one or more additional instructions which, whenexecuted by the processor, cause compressing the external correlationkey value such that the external correlation key value is stored infewer bits than the internal correlation key value.
 47. An apparatus asrecited in claim 23, further comprising one or more additionalinstructions which, when executed by the processor, cause: storing theinternal correlation key value and external correlation key value in apersistent work area; retrieving the external correlation key value fromthe persistent work area.
 48. An apparatus as recited in claim 23,wherein sending the alarm message and correlation key value comprisessending an SNMP message to an OSS that includes a complete SNMP objectcarrying the alarm message and the external correlation key value in anSNMP field.
 49. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein sending thealarm message and correlation key value comprises sending an XML file toan OSS that includes the alarm message and the external correlation keyvalue identified by unique XML tags.
 50. An apparatus as recited inclaim 22, wherein the alarm message is an SNMP message, the contextvalue is an SNMP context string, and the external correlation key valueis an ordinal number.
 51. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, whereinthe external system is an OSS of a telecommunications service provider.52. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the table is stored ata gateway that is logically located in the telecommunication networkbetween the network element or system element and an OSS of atelecommunications service provider.
 53. An apparatus as recited inclaim 22, wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associatedcontext value, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarmmessage.
 54. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprisingmeans for storing the internal correlation key value into an internalwork area, and generating the external correlation key value thatuniquely represents the internal correlation key value.
 55. An apparatusas recited in claim 22, wherein each formula in the table specifies, foran associated context value, one or more fields in the alarm message, aconcatenation of which yields the internal correlation key value.
 56. Anapparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies one or more pattern matching procedures to extract one or morefields from the alarm message, a concatenation of which yields theinternal correlation key value.
 57. An apparatus as recited in claim 22,wherein each formula in the table specifies, for an associated contextvalue, one or more ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message andone or more references to objects in an external database system.
 58. Anapparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein each formula in the tablespecifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toprogrammatic procedures that are stored in an external database system.59. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein each formula in thetable specifies, for an associated context value, one or more ordinalpositions of fields in the alarm message and one or more references toprogrammatic procedures that are stored in an external database system,and wherein a concatenation of the fields and a result value fromexecution of the programmatic procedures yields the internal correlationkey value.
 60. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprisingmeans for compressing the external correlation key value such that theexternal correlation key value is stored in fewer bits than the internalcorrelation key value.
 61. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, whereinthe table is stored at a gateway that is logically located in thetelecommunication network between the network element or system element,and an OSS of a telecommunications service provider; wherein eachformula in the table specifies, for an associated context value, one ormore ordinal positions of fields in the alarm message and one or morereferences to objects in an external database system that is accessibleto the gateway; and wherein a concatenation of the fields and objectsyields the internal correlation key value; and the apparatus furthercomprises means for compressing the external correlation key value suchthat the external correlation key value is stored in fewer bits than theinternal correlation key value.
 62. An apparatus as recited in claim 22,further comprising means for: storing the internal correlation key valueand external correlation key value in a persistent work area; retrievingthe external correlation key value from the persistent work area.
 63. Anapparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein sending the alarm message andcorrelation key value comprises sending an SNMP message to an OSS thatincludes a complete SNMP object carrying the alarm message and theexternal correlation key value in an SNMP field.
 64. An apparatus asrecited in claim 22, wherein sending the alarm message and correlationkey value comprises sending an XML file to an OSS that includes thealarm message and the external correlation key value identified byunique XML tags.